[u]'IDOLA' Have the Immortal Feather - Part One[/u]
[u]Del[/u]
My name, well, the name I'm known most by, is Del. I've also been called 'Black Rappy', 'Little bugger', and 'Subject' among others. You don't want to know much about me, but I'll need to tell you what I am if you are to understand. I am, sort of, a rappy. Rappies are a species native to the planet Ragol. Until recently, the rappies have upheld a society based on friendship and peace, with few predators and a lush planet on which to thrive. I know nothing of this, having had the bad fortune to hatch the day after that life ended. My arrival seemed to herald massive change. I, myself, am different. Very different indeed. Most rappies, like my late family, for example, stand roughly three feet tall in maturity. I am now seven ragolian years old, and I am more than a head taller than even the Pal rappy, the ancient leader of our race. Perhaps I should describe myself and the other rappies a little better. We are flightless, 'avian' creatures, as the humans call us. We are covered in soft feathery down, having no need for flight feathers, and have evolved to live in peace with ourselves and others. Thus, most rappies are not very well equipped for combat. We can run fast, but that's about it.
That's where I come in. I am large for a rappy, and pretty scary to look at. First of all, instead of the bright colours displayed by other rappies, I am black. Totally black. Every feather on my body is as black as a moonless night, but is sleek and and sharp as a knife. The claws on my feet and the ends of my bladed wings are sharp and hooked, perfect, unfortunately, for killing. Not by my choice, of course, but they've always been like that. It would take hours to explain what I know, and I've barely scratched the surface of what there is to find about my past. But I don't want to. I don't want to know the full extent of what I've done. What i've seen. What I've killed.
So, you're probably wondering why, or how, I'm talking to you, being a living weapon and all. That's a hard one. I was, shall we say, forged in the image of an evil power that resides below the surface of Ragol. Until recently, I was strongly bound to it, forced to obey it. Like I said, I can't and don't want to remember what I did under it's control. It called itself Falz, and granted me power beyond my imagining. I can change my shape, take virtually any form I desire. I'm sure many would enjoy such a skill, but whenever I change, a little of my sanity goes to Falz. I've only changed twice, and I never want to again. The first change was very major. I took a huge humanoid form, and killed a hunter by the name of Slash Edgewind. I absorbed his soul, but almost immediately after, there was a huge explosion. I have no idea what happened, but i remember, I was shot in the head by one of Slash's friends, a girl named Quint. Falz's powers protected me, but during the explosion, Falz lost a great deal of power. My bond with him snapped, and so did something within me. My soul was partially bonded with the hunter's. Now, I know everything he knew. About their past, why they left their home planet, Coral, to come here. The memories are hazy, so I assume Slash was still a chick when he left his home planet. Coral itself was dying. Huge chunks of earth were breaking from the planet and drifting into space every day, while the atmosphere silently bled away... I don't know why, but my knowledge so far of human nature leads me to believe that they brought it upon themselves. Always questing for power, to expand their horizons... I don't understand it.
So they found our planet. Ragol. They began a 'Pioneer Project', to emmigrate here. Pioneer One arrived seven years ago, the day before I entered the world. It carried mostly high ranking science personnel, along with famous hunters such as the legendary 'Red Ring Rico', and the commander-in-chief of Coral's united army, Heathcliffe Flowen. Apparently, Slash looked up to his father, Shred, as a great role model. He was a hunter, and had ties with he military. Slah's recent memories seem to be the most vivid. A few days ago, just before the arrival of Pioneer Two, He met up with his friends Quint and SiNE in a place called Razor's bar, inside the central dome on the surface of Ragol. They went out into the forest to hunt rappies. My species. For fun. A few hours later the dome was destroyed, regrettably, by Master Falz. Not one human survived. Slash and his friends were not present to witness the deaths of thousands of others. They split up, oblivious of the danger. SiNE, a human force, came across me in a clearing. At that time, I had no knowledge of Falz. I had dreams, stange dreams... What happened next was hazy. I came to my senses, standing on top of him, drenched in blood. I ran. something was calling me. I went to the dome and found everything inside decimated. What happened after that is another blank on my memory. I returned to myself again, stabbing an evil blade in Slash's stomach, absorbing his soul and life energy. It felt good. But then, there was an explosion. As I mentioned, something happened. Something that changed me forever.
I now think like both a human and a rappy at the same time. I can read Slash's memories like a book, but mine are open to him as well. I now understand human speech, and can speak it myself. I understand Slash's pain, being trapped within my body. He affects my decisions, my thoughts, even how I feel and react. I feel sorry for him, but how can I free him, now that he is part of me? He hates me, I can feel it. but what can I do? What can I do to ease his pain? It wasn't my intention to live this way.
That brings me to my present situation. On bonding with Slash, I realised I needed to warn the newly arrived Pioneer Two not to land on Ragol. I had to tell them about the danger Master Falz posed. I came across an android in the forest. Obviously a scout sent down from the ship. It was in very bad shape. Boomas, a common species of nocturnal predators, had ripped it apart. I found what I was looking for, however. A mechanical object known as a telepipe, which, when activated, returns the user to a set point. Using it was probably the stupidest thing I could have done. Three seconds later, I'm standing with twelve guns aimed at my face. Nice? Not in the slightest.
So now, I'm stuck abourd Pioneer Two, in orbit around my planet. I've tried to warn the humans about Falz, but, well, their reactions were obvious. Who would believe a semi-living bird? I'm kept in an enclosure, in what I can guess is one of the highest security sections of the ship. They take tests. They extract my blood, talk to me, jab things in me. They stare at me through glass, feed me things that make me dizzy. They examine me all over my body. I don't dare react now. If Falz took control of me again the havoc I could cause would be immense. In my combat form, I could take down a veteran hunter in seconds. What chances would scientists stand?
-----
[/Pal]
Rappies don't often leave the forest. I believe this is the first time a rappy as... important as I have ever left the forest by itself. The rappy species has suffered much over the last few years. I am the Pal rappy, the oldest of the rappies. They look up to me for guidance, apart from the black rappy of course. He was always a loner, but not by his own decision. The hunting parties killed all the rappies that could have been his friends. Only a select few hundred rappies remain alive today. Beaks are no match for blades and guns. After the black rappy left, two days ago, I set out to find him. I am unsure as to why. Perhaps I feel sorry for him. He has endured countless hardships over the last six years. He was forced to kill and eat his newly hatched siblings to survive for the first few weeks of his life, his parents having been cut down and killed by hunters. Regrettably, they were the first to die. Many others followed, of course, but the black rappy has never forgiven the humans for this.
He is the only rappy to have ever eaten meat in living memeory. this may not seem like a major problem, but we rappies have lived off the planet's natural growths for millennia. I feel sorry for him, and I want him to return to us. He mysteriously left the forest, drawn to the humans' home by some unknown stimulus. When I pursued him into the dome, I found the buildings inside razed to the ground. It was as if the very earth beneath them had turned to water for one brief minute, before the ground swallowed everything up. Not a single living thing was to be seen. I then lost the black rappy inside the dome and gave up on trying to find him. As soon as I returned to the forest, I cried. I cried because one of us had exiled himself from us because he was unhappy. Rappies have evolved to enjoy life, to be immensely social creatures, living in harmony with the planet. Of course, seven years ago, that all changed. It all changed, indeed.
[u]Del[/u]
My name, well, the name I'm known most by, is Del. I've also been called 'Black Rappy', 'Little bugger', and 'Subject' among others. You don't want to know much about me, but I'll need to tell you what I am if you are to understand. I am, sort of, a rappy. Rappies are a species native to the planet Ragol. Until recently, the rappies have upheld a society based on friendship and peace, with few predators and a lush planet on which to thrive. I know nothing of this, having had the bad fortune to hatch the day after that life ended. My arrival seemed to herald massive change. I, myself, am different. Very different indeed. Most rappies, like my late family, for example, stand roughly three feet tall in maturity. I am now seven ragolian years old, and I am more than a head taller than even the Pal rappy, the ancient leader of our race. Perhaps I should describe myself and the other rappies a little better. We are flightless, 'avian' creatures, as the humans call us. We are covered in soft feathery down, having no need for flight feathers, and have evolved to live in peace with ourselves and others. Thus, most rappies are not very well equipped for combat. We can run fast, but that's about it.
That's where I come in. I am large for a rappy, and pretty scary to look at. First of all, instead of the bright colours displayed by other rappies, I am black. Totally black. Every feather on my body is as black as a moonless night, but is sleek and and sharp as a knife. The claws on my feet and the ends of my bladed wings are sharp and hooked, perfect, unfortunately, for killing. Not by my choice, of course, but they've always been like that. It would take hours to explain what I know, and I've barely scratched the surface of what there is to find about my past. But I don't want to. I don't want to know the full extent of what I've done. What i've seen. What I've killed.
So, you're probably wondering why, or how, I'm talking to you, being a living weapon and all. That's a hard one. I was, shall we say, forged in the image of an evil power that resides below the surface of Ragol. Until recently, I was strongly bound to it, forced to obey it. Like I said, I can't and don't want to remember what I did under it's control. It called itself Falz, and granted me power beyond my imagining. I can change my shape, take virtually any form I desire. I'm sure many would enjoy such a skill, but whenever I change, a little of my sanity goes to Falz. I've only changed twice, and I never want to again. The first change was very major. I took a huge humanoid form, and killed a hunter by the name of Slash Edgewind. I absorbed his soul, but almost immediately after, there was a huge explosion. I have no idea what happened, but i remember, I was shot in the head by one of Slash's friends, a girl named Quint. Falz's powers protected me, but during the explosion, Falz lost a great deal of power. My bond with him snapped, and so did something within me. My soul was partially bonded with the hunter's. Now, I know everything he knew. About their past, why they left their home planet, Coral, to come here. The memories are hazy, so I assume Slash was still a chick when he left his home planet. Coral itself was dying. Huge chunks of earth were breaking from the planet and drifting into space every day, while the atmosphere silently bled away... I don't know why, but my knowledge so far of human nature leads me to believe that they brought it upon themselves. Always questing for power, to expand their horizons... I don't understand it.
So they found our planet. Ragol. They began a 'Pioneer Project', to emmigrate here. Pioneer One arrived seven years ago, the day before I entered the world. It carried mostly high ranking science personnel, along with famous hunters such as the legendary 'Red Ring Rico', and the commander-in-chief of Coral's united army, Heathcliffe Flowen. Apparently, Slash looked up to his father, Shred, as a great role model. He was a hunter, and had ties with he military. Slah's recent memories seem to be the most vivid. A few days ago, just before the arrival of Pioneer Two, He met up with his friends Quint and SiNE in a place called Razor's bar, inside the central dome on the surface of Ragol. They went out into the forest to hunt rappies. My species. For fun. A few hours later the dome was destroyed, regrettably, by Master Falz. Not one human survived. Slash and his friends were not present to witness the deaths of thousands of others. They split up, oblivious of the danger. SiNE, a human force, came across me in a clearing. At that time, I had no knowledge of Falz. I had dreams, stange dreams... What happened next was hazy. I came to my senses, standing on top of him, drenched in blood. I ran. something was calling me. I went to the dome and found everything inside decimated. What happened after that is another blank on my memory. I returned to myself again, stabbing an evil blade in Slash's stomach, absorbing his soul and life energy. It felt good. But then, there was an explosion. As I mentioned, something happened. Something that changed me forever.
I now think like both a human and a rappy at the same time. I can read Slash's memories like a book, but mine are open to him as well. I now understand human speech, and can speak it myself. I understand Slash's pain, being trapped within my body. He affects my decisions, my thoughts, even how I feel and react. I feel sorry for him, but how can I free him, now that he is part of me? He hates me, I can feel it. but what can I do? What can I do to ease his pain? It wasn't my intention to live this way.
That brings me to my present situation. On bonding with Slash, I realised I needed to warn the newly arrived Pioneer Two not to land on Ragol. I had to tell them about the danger Master Falz posed. I came across an android in the forest. Obviously a scout sent down from the ship. It was in very bad shape. Boomas, a common species of nocturnal predators, had ripped it apart. I found what I was looking for, however. A mechanical object known as a telepipe, which, when activated, returns the user to a set point. Using it was probably the stupidest thing I could have done. Three seconds later, I'm standing with twelve guns aimed at my face. Nice? Not in the slightest.
So now, I'm stuck abourd Pioneer Two, in orbit around my planet. I've tried to warn the humans about Falz, but, well, their reactions were obvious. Who would believe a semi-living bird? I'm kept in an enclosure, in what I can guess is one of the highest security sections of the ship. They take tests. They extract my blood, talk to me, jab things in me. They stare at me through glass, feed me things that make me dizzy. They examine me all over my body. I don't dare react now. If Falz took control of me again the havoc I could cause would be immense. In my combat form, I could take down a veteran hunter in seconds. What chances would scientists stand?
-----
[/Pal]
Rappies don't often leave the forest. I believe this is the first time a rappy as... important as I have ever left the forest by itself. The rappy species has suffered much over the last few years. I am the Pal rappy, the oldest of the rappies. They look up to me for guidance, apart from the black rappy of course. He was always a loner, but not by his own decision. The hunting parties killed all the rappies that could have been his friends. Only a select few hundred rappies remain alive today. Beaks are no match for blades and guns. After the black rappy left, two days ago, I set out to find him. I am unsure as to why. Perhaps I feel sorry for him. He has endured countless hardships over the last six years. He was forced to kill and eat his newly hatched siblings to survive for the first few weeks of his life, his parents having been cut down and killed by hunters. Regrettably, they were the first to die. Many others followed, of course, but the black rappy has never forgiven the humans for this.
He is the only rappy to have ever eaten meat in living memeory. this may not seem like a major problem, but we rappies have lived off the planet's natural growths for millennia. I feel sorry for him, and I want him to return to us. He mysteriously left the forest, drawn to the humans' home by some unknown stimulus. When I pursued him into the dome, I found the buildings inside razed to the ground. It was as if the very earth beneath them had turned to water for one brief minute, before the ground swallowed everything up. Not a single living thing was to be seen. I then lost the black rappy inside the dome and gave up on trying to find him. As soon as I returned to the forest, I cried. I cried because one of us had exiled himself from us because he was unhappy. Rappies have evolved to enjoy life, to be immensely social creatures, living in harmony with the planet. Of course, seven years ago, that all changed. It all changed, indeed.